DOCSLIB.ORG

Soil Environmental Factors Drive Seed Density Across Vegetation Types on the Tibetan Plateau

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Soil Environmental Factors Drive Seed Density Across Vegetation Types on the Tibetan Plateau Plant Soil DOI 10.1007/s11104-017-3348-0 REGULAR ARTICLE Soil environmental factors drive seed density across vegetation types on the Tibetan Plateau Miaojun Ma & James W. Dalling & Zhen Ma & Xianhui Zhou Received: 7 March 2017 /Accepted: 13 July 2017 # Springer International Publishing AG 2017 Abstract Methods Here we collected 1026 soil seed bank sam- Background and aims Soil seed banks are an impor- ples and sampled 171 aboveground vegetation quadrats tant source of seedling recruits in grassland ecosys- in 57 sites representing six distinct grass-dominated tems, particularly following large-scale disturbance. vegetation types present at high elevation on the Tibetan Nonetheless, the relative importance of above- Plateau, China. To understand processes affecting seed ground plant communities versus below-ground pro- banks at these sites we examined the associations of soil cesses in maintaining these seed banks is poorly environmental variables with community composition, understood. density and species richness. Results We found significant differences in species composition between the seed bank and standing Responsible Editor: Jeffrey Walck. vegetation in each of the vegetation types, whereas Electronic supplementary material The online version of this soil seed banks were much more similar to each article (doi:10.1007/s11104-017-3348-0) contains supplementary other. Nonetheless, seed bank composition was sig- material, which is available to authorized users. nificantly associated with soil moisture, pH, and M. Ma (*) : Z. Ma : X. Zhou available nitrogen (all p < 0.05). Seed density was State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, School significantly negatively correlated with soil pH and of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, positively correlated with soil moisture and soil or- China e-mail: [email protected] ganic matter. Multiple regression analysis showed that for seed bank density a model including pH Z. Ma alone had the lowest AIC value. e-mail: [email protected] Conclusions Soil conditions influence not only seed inputs but also potentially seed survival in the soil, X. Zhou e-mail: [email protected] this study present a framework which supply a plau- sible explanation on effect of soil environment fac- tors (chemical and physical factors) in the formation J. W. Dalling of species composition of soil seed bank. Future Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA work should isolate the direct and indirect effects e-mail: [email protected] of soil chemistry on seed persistence using seed burial experiments. Z. Ma Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Keywords pH . Plant community. Similarity. Soil Sciences, Xining, Qinghai 810008, China environmental factor. Soil moisture . Soil seed bank Plant Soil Introduction Lauber et al. 2008). In particular, the composition of fungal communities can be sensitive to variability in Soil seed banks represent a critical source of recruits soil nutrient availability (Lauber et al. 2008). In for many plant populations that occupy temporally contrast, the composition of soil bacterial communi- variable environments (Venable and Brown 1988). ties is more strongly related to soil pH (Fierer and For some species, seed persistence has been shown Jackson 2006; Hartman et al. 2008; Lauber et al. to be influenced by biotic (e.g. Schafer and Kotanen 2009), potentially reflecting a narrower optimal pH 2003, 2004; Dalling et al. 2011;Mordecai2012)or range for bacterial than fungal growth (Rousk et al. abiotic conditions in the soil (e.g. Pakeman et al. 2010). As yet, however, the effects of soil pH on 2012;Abedietal.2014; Basto et al. 2015a). Deter- grassland seed bank richness and composition has mining how these environmental factors influence received little attention (Basto et al. 2015a), al- seed survival and germination is therefore critical though recent work in acidic and calcareous grass- to understanding the population and community dy- lands in the UK suggests that seed persistence, as namics of seed bank forming species, and has im- well as seed bank richness and density decrease with plications for how seed banks are managed in resto- increasing pH and is potentially mediated by patho- ration ecology (Khurana and Singh 2001). gens (Basto et al. 2015b). Little is known about how In this study, we have proposed a conceptual soil environmental factors potentially affect the spe- model of the direct and indirect effect of soil envi- cies composition, density and richness of soil seed ronmental factors on seed survival and species com- banks across the biomes. position of soil seed bank through have direct effects On the Tibetan plateau diverse grassland and on aboveground plant community and belowground meadow ecosystems have been recognized that re- soil microbes (Fig. 1). Soil seed bank is a balance of flect variation in elevation, moisture regime and soil seed input and seed output (Fenner 1985). Plant properties (Qi et al. 2015). However, no study cur- communities have a direct effect (seed input) on soil rently exists to identify common trends in above- seed bank through seed dispersal. Soil microbes also ground vegetation and seed bank composition across have a direct effect to soil seed bank through path- these different vegetation types. While the effects of ogens invasion. Soil seed bank experiences a com- environmental factors on the seed bank of species plicated ecological process in the soil. However, this present in above-ground vegetation (transient seed process is often neglected. What role does soil en- bank) may be primarily determined via effects on vironment play during soil seed bank formation and local seed production (Fig. 1), environmental effects function is an unresolved scientific issue. on species absent from aboveground vegetation Abiotic environmental conditions in the soil may (persistent seed bank) may instead primarily repre- not only have a direct impact on ungerminated seeds, sent direct effects on seeds mediated over long pe- but also influence seed survival via effects on seed riods by the soil physical and chemical environment, predators and pathogens (Fig. 1). In particular, fungal and by the action of seed predators and pathogens. pathogens have been shown to reduce seed survival The objectives of this paper were therefore: (1) in many habitats (e.g. Dalling et al. 1998; Schafer To determine how the density, richness and compo- and Kotanen 2003, 2004;O’Hanlon-Manners and sitional similarity of seed banks compares to above- Kotanen 2006), with the activity of soil fungi linked ground communities across six Tibetan plateau veg- to soil moisture and other soil characteristics (Blaney etation types, and (2) To determine how seed bank and Kotanen 2001; Schafer and Kotanen 2004; density, richness and species composition varies in Mordecai 2012). As a consequence, wetter habitats relation to soil moisture and soil chemical variables may have lower seed survival at least in part due to (pH, nitrogen and phosphorus availability, and soil the effect of fungal pathogens, while arid habitats organic carbon). Specifically, we hypothesized, that have longer-lived seed banks (Mordecai 2012;Kaiser the richness and density of the persistent seed bank and Pirhofer-Walzl 2015). would be negatively affected by increasing soil Previous work has also shown that soil chemical moisture and pH reflecting increasing losses of variables are often correlated with soil microbial seeds under conditions that favor seed infection communities across space (e.g. Nilsson et al. 2007; and decay by soil microbial communities. Plant Soil Fig. 1 Conceptual model of direct and indirect effects of soil Plant community environmental factors on soil seed banks Seed dispersal Direct effect Indirect effect Direct effect Soil environmental factors Soil seed bank (Soil moisture, pH, SOM, TN, TP, AN, AP…) Direct effect Indirect effect Direct effect Pathogen infection Soil microbes Materials and methods 100 m × 100 m plots at least 1000 m apart were selected at random. Each plot was considered an independent Study sites spatial replicate in each site. We randomly chose three subplots (10 m × 10 m) in each plot, and 10 cylindrical The study was carried out in the northeastern part of soil cores (3.6 cm diameter) were taken randomly from Tibetan Plateau in Gansu Province, P.R China (101°06′- each subplot for a total sample area of 0.092 m2 and the 103°33′E, 33°22′-35°24′N, about 37,000 km2,altitude total volume was 0.0092 m3 per site. The soil cores were 2339–4038 m a.s.l). We chose six vegetation types divided into two fractions: the upper layer (0–5cm (Table S1 in Appendix S1, Table 1), classified as AM depth), and lower layer (5–10 cm depth). Further, the (alpine meadow, 27 sites), ASM (alpine scrub meadow, 10 cores from each depth were then pooled to generate 8 sites), SM (swamp meadow, 7 sites), SAM (subalpine one representative sample per subplot. In total, there meadow, 6 sites), UG (upland grassland, 5 sites), and were 18 samples from each site, 57 sites and 1026 soil FEM (forest edge meadow, 4 sites). The different veg- samples. All the soil samples were transported to the etation types have been distinguished based on species Hezuo Research Station and placed under a north-facing composition, and the identity of dominant species (Wu window of direct exposure at ambient room tempera- 1980). To examine the characteristics of the soil seed tures for 15 days to allow them to dry. Then, samples bank community, a germination experiment was con- were kept dry in a dark storeroom of Hezuo Research ducted in the Research Station of Alpine Meadow and StationwithnoheatuntilMay2010. Wetland Ecosystems of Lanzhou University (Hezuo Branch), Gansu Province of China (N34°55′, Characterization of the germinable soil seed bank E102°53′, altitude 2900 m a.s.l), which was also located on the northeastern part of Tibetan Plateau.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Soil Seed Bank Dynamics in Transferred Topsoil
    SOIL SEED BANK DYNAMICS IN TRANSFERRED TOPSOIL EVALUATING RESTORATION POTENTIALS William M. Fowler Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Environmental Restoration School of Environmental Science October 2012 Acknowledgements Thanks to my supervisors Dr. Joe Fontaine and Prof. Neal Enright for all the advice and support given over the last year. I would also like to thank the members of the Murdoch University, Terrestrial Ecology Research Group (TERG) for their valuable assistance and guidance, especially Willa Veber and Dr. Philip Ladd, as well as the Murdoch University Environmental Science Association (MUEnSA) for helping find enthusiastic volunteer field assistants. I wish to thank the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) for providing technical and financial assistance in addition to information and resources that were vital to this projects success. Finally I would like to thank the Environmental Weeds Action Network (EWAN) for awarding me a scholarship to help me complete this valuable research. DECLARATION I declare that this thesis is my own original work and has not been submitted for any other unit for academic credit. William Michael Fowler Soil seed bank dynamics of transferred topsoil: evaluating restoration potentials ABSTRACT Global change, increasing human population growth and urbanisation represent increasing pressures on biodiversity and ecosystem function. It is now widely recognised that conservation of existing natural fragments will not be sufficient to maintain extant biodiversity or meet conservation goals. Thus there is a major and rapidly expanding need for the practice of ecological restoration whereby degraded lands are managed to increase and maintain indigenous species. A soil seed bank germination experiment was conducted over a period of 13 weeks.
    [Show full text]
  • Mechanisms Underpinning the Onset of Seed Coat Impermeability And
    www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Mechanisms underpinning the onset of seed coat impermeability and dormancy-break in Astragalus Received: 13 November 2018 Accepted: 24 June 2019 adsurgens Published: xx xx xxxx Ganesh K. Jaganathan1, Jiajin Li1, Matthew Biddick2, Kang Han1, Danping Song1, Yashu Yang1, Yingying Han1 & Baolin Liu1 Impermeable seed coats, i.e. physical dormancy (PY) infuence the germination ecology of plants from 18 angiosperm families. Astragalus adsurgens (Fabaceae; Papilinoidaae) is a perennial plant widespread in temperate regions that is thought to produce both permeable and impermeable seeds. Why seeds vary in the permeability of their coat, in addition to the mechanisms by which impermeable seeds break dormancy, are not completely understood. However, seeds are often consumed by herbivores; a phenomenon that might facilitate the germination of impermeable seeds. Here, we tested whether: (1) moisture content plays a signifcant role in the onset of seed coat impermeability (and therefore PY) at similar ranges reported for species from tropical ecosystems; and (2) the presence of impermeable coats ofer any benefts for seed survival when consumed by animals. We tested these hypotheses using A. adsurgens seeds collected from Inner Mongolia, China. Freshly collected seeds with a moisture content of 9.7% were permeable to water and therefore not physically dormant. However, seeds became impermeable when dried below a threshold of 6.5% moisture content. Treating impermeable seeds with hydrochloric acid efectively broke dormancy. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed that HCl treated seeds had a narrow opening in the hilum and extra-hilar regions, through which water entered. Seeds with impermeable coats survived signifcantly better than permeable seeds when consumed by cows.
    [Show full text]
  • Direct and Indirect Effects of Temperature and Precipitation on Alpine Seed Banks in the Tibetan Plateau
    Ecological Applications, 30(5), 2020, e02096 © 2020 by the Ecological Society of America Direct and indirect effects of temperature and precipitation on alpine seed banks in the Tibetan Plateau 1,3 2 1 MIAOJUN MA, SCOTT L. COLLINS , AND GUOZHEN DU 1State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000 China 2Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87103 USA Citation: Ma, M., S. L. Collins, and G. Du. 2020. Direct and indirect effects of temperature and precipita- tion on alpine seed banks in the Tibetan Plateau. Ecological Applications 30(5):e02096. 10.1002/eap.2096 Abstract. Plant community responses to global environmental change focus primarily on aboveground vegetation; however, the important role of the seed bank is frequently neglected. Specifically, the direct and indirect effects of changes in temperature and precipitation on seed banks remain poorly understood, yet seed banks provide a vital source of ecosystem resilience to global environmental change. We used a structural equation model to explore the direct and indirect effects of temperature, precipitation, and other biotic and abiotic factors on soil seed bank community composition using 1,026 soil seed bank samples from 57 sites along an eleva- tion gradient that served as a space-for-time substitution for changing climate in the Tibetan Plateau. Seed bank richness was negatively correlated with both precipitation and temperature, but neither climate factor affected seed bank density. Temperature was also negatively corre- lated with vegetation species richness, which was positively correlated with seed bank richness and density. Both precipitation and temperature were positively correlated with soil total N, and total N was negatively correlated with vegetation richness.
    [Show full text]
  • SEEDS STORED in the FOREST FLOOR in a NATURAL STAND of Pinus Montezumae Lamb
    SEEDS STORED IN THE FOREST FLOOR IN A NATURAL STAND OF Pinus montezumae Lamb. Fernando Carrillo-Anzures1, Gil Vera-Castillo2, Octavio Salvador Magaña-Torres1, Jim M. Guldin3 and Raymond P. Guries4 ABSTRACT Seed banks have been studied to a greater extent in agriculture than in forestry due to long-standing concerns about the threat to agricultural crops posed by weed species. However, in forest areas seed banks have an important influence on plant succession since the vegetation that colonizes a space after a major disturbance will arise at least partly from them. Knowledge about this condition can help land managers to prescribe site treatments that produce desired vegetation from the perspectives of wildlife habitat, reduced plant competition with crop tree species, and related management concerns. The variability of the soil seed bank of a Pinus montezumae forest was assessed using seedling-emergence method for soil samples. The number of species and seedling abundance were evaluated by sampling four plots in a natural regeneration area. A total of 43 species were recorded in the seed bank (2 trees, 17 shrubs, 1 grass and 23 herbs). Viable seeds of most species were contained in similar abundance in the humus and mineral soil layers. Dominant species in the stand (P. montezumae) and codominant species (P. ayacahuite, Abies religiosa, and Alnus firmifolia) were poorly represented in the soil seed bank which was dominated by seeds of an array of annual and perennial herbs. Regeneration of commercial species under any silvicultural method must come from current seed production, or seed produced off site, but not from the soil seed bank.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Ecology and Restoration of California Grasslands with Special
    Ecology and Restoration of California Grasslands with special emphasis on the influence of fire and grazing on native grassland species Carla D’Antonio* Susan Bainbridge* Coleman Kennedy* James Bartolomet Sally Reynolds* *Department of Integrative Biology tDepartment of Environmental Science, Policy and Management University of California Berkeley, California 94720 Funded by the David and Lucille Packard Foundation and the University of California, Berkeley 1 Introduction The grasslands of California's Mediterranean climate region are unique because they occur within a region where precipitation falls only during the cold part of the year, they have a very strong representation of annual species in their flora and they have undergone a large-scale replacement of native species by European ones over the past 150 years. Today, they occupy approximately 10 million ha either as open grassland or as understory in oak-dominated savannas and woodlands (Heady et al. 1992). Forage from these lands provides the grazing resource for range livestock production, a leading agricultural commodity in the State. In addition, California grassland and oak savanna ecosystems are extremely important as wildlife habitat (Guisti et al. 1996) and as a center of high native plant diversity. Indeed, around 90% of species listed in the Inventory of Rare and Endangered Species in California (Skinner and Pavlik 1994), occur within California grassland settings. Despite the value of California grasslands for both range production and native biological diversity, this habitat is increasingly reduced in acreage and quality due to conversion for cropland, residential and urban development and exotic species invasion. As a result, intact native grassland today is among one of the state’s most threatened ecosystems (Noss et al.
    [Show full text]
  • SCIENCE CHINA Induction of Seed Germination in Orobanche Spp. By
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Springer - Publisher Connector SCIENCE CHINA Life Sciences • RESEARCH PAPER • March 2012 Vol.55 No.3: 250–260 doi: 10.1007/s11427-012-4302-2 Induction of seed germination in Orobanche spp. by extracts of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs 1,2* 1 1 3 1 1 MA YongQing , ZHANG Wei , DONG ShuQi , REN XiangXiang , AN Yu & LANG Ming 1College of Resources and Environment, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China; 2State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China; 3College of Forestry, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China Received September 23, 2011; accepted March 5, 2012 The co-evolution of Orobanche spp. and their hosts within the same environment has resulted in a high degree of adaptation and effective parasitism whereby the host releases parasite germination stimulants, which are likely to be unstable in the soil. Our objective was to investigate whether extracts from non-host plants, specifically, Chinese medicinal plants, could stimulate germination of Orobanche spp. Samples of 606 Chinese medicinal herb species were extracted with deionized water and methanol. The extracts were used to induce germination of three Orobanche species; Orobanche minor, Orobanche cumana, and Orobanche aegyptiaca. O. minor exhibited a wide range of germination responses to the various herbal extracts. O. cuma- na and O. aegyptiaca exhibited an intermediate germination response to the herbal extracts. O. minor, which has a narrow host spectrum, showed higher germination rates in response to different herbal extracts compared with those of O.
    [Show full text]
  • The Soil Seed Bank of an Oregon Montane Meadow: Consequences of Conifer Encroachment and Implications for Restoration
    The Soil Seed Bank of an Oregon Montane Meadow: Consequences of Conifer Encroachment and Implications for Restoration Nicole L. Lang A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science University of Washington 2006 Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Forest Resources University of Washington Graduate School This is to certify that I have examined this copy of a master’s thesis by: Nicole L. Lang and have found that it is complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the final examining committee have been made. Committee Members: _______________________________________ Charles B. Halpern _______________________________________ Joseph A. Antos _______________________________________ Martha J. Groom Date: _______ 16 March 2006 ______________ In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master’s degree at the University of Washington, I agree that the Library shall make its copies freely available for inspection. I further agree that extensive copying of this thesis is allowable only for scholarly purposes, consistent with “fair use” as prescribed in the U.S. Copyright Law. Any other reproduction for any purposes or by any means shall not be allowed without my written permission. Signature_____________________ Date: ____ 16 March 2006 _______ University of Washington Abstract The Soil Seed Bank of an Oregon Montane Meadow: Consequences of Conifer Encroachment and Implications for Restoration Nicole L. Lang Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Research Professor Charles B. Halpern College of Forest Resources In this study, I examine the soil seed bank of an Oregon montane meadow that has experienced encroachment of Pinus contorta and Abies grandis for more than a century.
    [Show full text]
  • In This Preliminary Analysis, We Will Be Looking at the Potential Changes In
    Cooperative Agreement Number: H8R07060001 Task Agreement Number: J8R07100007 August 1, 2010 – May 5, 2014 Revised March 2014 FINAL REPORT Developing Appropriate Restoration Practices for Arizona Sonoran Desert Uplands Invaded by Buffelgrass Project title: Developing Appropriate Restoration Practices for Arizona Sonoran Desert Uplands Invaded by Buffelgrass Principal Investigator: Lindsay P. Chiquoine, Research Associate, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Nevada Las Vegas, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, Nevada 98154 - 3064; [email protected] Federal Cooperator: Dana Backer, Restoration Ecologist, Saguaro National Park, 3693 S. Old Spanish Trail, Tucson, AZ 85730 This project is funded by Saguaro National Park and implemented through a cooperative agreement between the National Park Service and the University of Nevada Las Vegas. 0 Page intentionally left blank 1a Developing Appropriate Restoration Practices for Arizona Sonoran Desert Uplands Invaded by Buffelgrass EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Milestones This project included several related components all aimed at providing information support for furthering development of effective management strategies for buffelgrass in Saguaro National Park. In collaboration with Dana Backer and Saguaro National Park personnel, we conducted literature reviews, three field studies, and two syntheses and analyses of existing data collected by Saguaro National Park. This document reports on: 1. Literature review on overall ecology of buffelgrass and its management, completed in 2010. 2. Literature review on vegetation restoration projects in the Sonoran Desert, completed in 2011. 3. Field study of ecological characteristics (vegetation, soil, and soil seed bank) at sites invaded and not invaded by buffelgrass within Saguaro National Park, completed in 2011. This effort was published in Invasive Plant Science and Management in 2012.
    [Show full text]
  • “Ecology of Soil Seed Banks: Implications for Conservation and Restoration of Natural Vegetation”: a Review
    Vol. 10(10), pp. 380-393, October 2018 DOI: 10.5897/IJBC2018.1226 Article Number: 8B1ADC358825 ISSN: 2141-243X Copyright ©2018 International Journal of Biodiversity and Author(s) retain the copyright of this article http://www.academicjournals.org/IJBC Conservation Review “Ecology of soil seed banks: Implications for conservation and restoration of natural vegetation”: A review Wakshum Shiferaw1*, Sebsebe Demissew2 and Tamrat Bekele2 1Department of Natural Resources Management, College of Agricultural Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, P.O. Box 21, Ethiopia. 2Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, P.O. Box 3434, Ethiopia. Received 24 August, 2018; Accepted 10 September, 2018 Seed bank (henceforth referred to as SB) refers to viable seed which is present on or in soil and associated with litter/humus. Under different land use/land cover systems and climatic regions, density of seeds in the soil is variable both in space and time. SB density decreases with increasing depth and age of seeds in the soil. Smaller seeds are more easily incorporated, moved to deeper soil layers and persist longer in the soil, whereas large sized seeds without hard seed coats lack persistence in the soil. Moreover, small and elongated seeds are more persistent than large and round seeds. In most vegetation types, grass and herbs have denser seeds in the soil than woody species. Due to shade intolerant properties, density of grasses and forbs are also higher in forest gaps and farmlands than under shade of trees. In most of vegetation types and under medium disturbances e.g.
    [Show full text]
  • 11 the Functional Role of Soil Seed Banks in Natural Communities
    11 The Functional Role of Soil Seed Banks in Natural Communities Arne Saatkamp,1* Peter Poschlod2 and D. Lawrence Venable3 1Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d’Ecologie (IMBE UMR CNRS 7263), Université d’Aix-Marseille, Marseille, France; 2LS Biologie VIII, Universität Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany; 3Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA Introduction some plants make such prominent seed banks and others none at all? When I was a child, playing in the meadows Some of us would be satisfied with and woods, I (A.S.) was fascinated by all the answers like ‘the large size of Calendula seedlings coming out of seemingly lifeless and Carduus seeds limits the number that soil where the ponds dried out, a new river can be produced by the plant and which will bank was exposed or a mole built its hill. get buried’ or ‘decades ago heathland grew Beggarticks (Bidens tripartita) quickly cov- where the pinewood used to be’. But others ered the former pond; the river bank turned of us, inspired by Darwin’s ‘three table- blue with forget-me-nots (Myosotis praten- spoonsful of mud’ from which he grew sis); and molehills were crowned with 537 plants, also want to understand the stitchwort (Stellaria media). It was a diffi- evolution of soil seed banks, pursuing the cult experience when my parents had me deeper sense to the ‘why’ question in biol- weed out our overgrown vegetable garden ogy that Darwin (1859) gave us. The goal of where lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) this chapter is to help to answer the ques- from the seed bank grew faster than the rad- tions on: (i) types and definitions of soil ishes we had sown.
    [Show full text]
  • Soil Seed Banks in Mixed Oak Forests of Southeastern Ohio
    SOIL SEED BANKS IN MIXED OAK FORESTS OF SOUTHEASTERN OHIO A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science Lisa R. Schelling March 2006 This thesis entitled SOIL SEED BANKS IN MIXED OAK FORESTS OF SOUTHEASTERN OHIO by LISA R. SCHELLING has been approved for the Department of Environmental and Plant Biology and the College of Arts and Sciences by Brian C. McCarthy Professor of Environmental and Plant Biology Benjamin M. Ogles Interim Dean, College of Arts and Sciences SCHELLING, LISA R. M.S. March 2006. Environmental and Plant Biology Effects of Forest Management Regime on Soil Seed Bank Composition in Mixed Oak Forest of Southeastern Ohio (67 pp.) Director of Thesis: Brian C. McCarthy The effects of common forest management practices (burning and thinning) on the seed bank are assessed. Species composition of the soil seed bank is examined under three treatments: thin, burn, thin followed by burning, and an untreated control. Thinning was conducted in Fall 2000 and burns were conducted in Spring 2001. Soil samples were collected in March 2004, 3 years following treatment. Species composition is assessed by seedling emergence. Seventy total species are found in the seed bank. Ruderal species such as Erechtites hieraciifolia (L.) Raf., Carex spp., and Rubus spp. are the most commonly occurring species across all treatments. No significant difference in species composition or proportion of functional groups is found between any of the treatment groups. Species composition of the seed bank and above-ground vegetation are significantly different in all treatments.
    [Show full text]
  • Responses of Soil Seed Bank and Vegetation to the Increasing Intensity of Human Disturbance in a Semi-Arid Region of Northern China
    sustainability Article Responses of Soil Seed Bank and Vegetation to the Increasing Intensity of Human Disturbance in a Semi-Arid Region of Northern China Cui Li 1 ID , Bo Xiao 2, Qinghai Wang 1,*, Ruilun Zheng 1 and Juying Wu 1 1 Research and Development Center for Grass and Environment, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China; [email protected] (C.L.); [email protected] (R.Z.); [email protected] (J.W.) 2 Department of Soil and Water Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +86-010-5150-3436 Received: 5 September 2017; Accepted: 1 October 2017; Published: 12 October 2017 Abstract: To provide more insights into the responses of the soil seed bank and vegetation to human disturbance intensity, we selected four land use types, including: native grassland (no human disturbance), abandoned artificial grassland (light human disturbance), artificial grassland (moderate human disturbance), and farmland (severe human disturbance) in a semi-arid climate of northern China. The species composition and density of the soil seed bank were measured, as well as the species composition and amount of vegetation. The native grassland had a significantly higher soil seed density and species richness than the other land use types. Moreover, the common species both in the soil seed bank and vegetation between the native grassland and other land use types gradually decreased as disturbance intensity increased. The abandoned artificial grassland and artificial grassland still had abundant soil seed banks according to their seed density (≥28.2% of the native grassland) and species richness (≥70.0% of the native grassland) to restore the vegetation.
    [Show full text]